This invention relates to musical instruments, and in particular to stringed instruments such as electric guitars having a tremolo bar. The invention is more specifically concerned with a tremolo stop device that permits the performer to enable or disable the tremolo feature of his or her instrument during performance and without interfering with the playing of the instrument.
Many modern electric guitars are fitted with a tremolo attachment mounted in the body of the guitar. The body ends of the guitar strings are mounted on a tremolo plate which is mounted in the guitar body for pivoting. A system of adjustable springs tensions the tremolo plate to balance the tension of the guitar strings. The player moves a tremolo bar, or lever, that is attached to the tremolo plate to change the tension on the strings, and thus to change the pitch of the notes, i.e., to "bend" the notes. Guitars with tremolo attachments are well known and several are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,025 to Steinberger, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,448 to Hennessey, and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,298 to Schaller et al. For some musical selections, it is required that the performer employ the tremolo feature, and for other selections it is required not to use the tremolo feature. There are instances where there are some passages that require tremolo, and other sections or passages where tremolo would not be used. Unfortunately, when tremolo is not needed, the tremolo system is still "active" and can change the pitch of the strings even when not desired. Also tremolo systems provide some problems for guitarists. Some string bends cannot always be played in tune. If a string breaks, the instrument is rendered unplayable on the remaining strings, because the loss of string tension upsets the equilibrium necessary for proper tuning and proper function of the tremolo. Players cannot rest their hands firmly on the bridge, as they are inclined to do, because this also upsets the equilibrium of the tremolo. For these reasons, guitarists have needed a simple, effective tremolo lock that permits the guitar to be changed over easily between a tremolo mode and a normal or non-tremolo mode. There have been various proposals to lock the tremolo arm of a tremolo attachment, involving turning or twisting the tremolo arm or lever one way to lock the tremolo attachment and to turn it the other way to unlock it. Two of these are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,804 to Wilkinson and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,493 to Ralston. These locking mechanisms tend to be large and cumbersome, and can make the playing of the guitar somewhat more difficult. It is also difficult for the guitarist to change over between the tremolo and non-tremolo while continuing to play the guitar. In particular, the industry has failed to provide a tremolo locking device mounted unobtrusively on the front of the guitar body and which can be easily engaged and disengaged while playing the guitar.